Holly Willoughby 'will not shy away' from the Phillip Schofield scandal when she returns to the This Morning sofa on Monday. The host plans to address the affair 'openly and honestly', a TV source told The Sun.
Holly has been off our screens for the past fortnight, since her former presenting pal admitted to having an affair with a much younger ITV colleague. The Sun quotes the source as saying: "Holly wants to address Phillip's recent admissions about his affair.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
"She will be honest and open, mentioning him by name. She's not shying away from the tricky subject as she wants to show up for the viewers and loyal fans.
"Even though Holly has been on holiday with her family, she has been thinking about it a lot and tried to process the dramatic turn of events. She has thought about what she will say and written it in advance, taking her time to get the words right. It's not something she's being forced to do.
"It won't be an easy moment for her, and she knows she could get emotional, but she thinks it's the right thing to do and wants to speak about it in an honest way. It will happen at the very beginning of Monday’s show.
"Holly was really upset to hear that Phil was feeling suicidal amid the backlash since the scandal and doesn’t want him to be in any pain, so she will choose her words carefully and deliver them in a sensitive manner."
Josie Gibson will co-host the show on Monday. It's been reported that the friendship between Holly and Phil is on the rocks after he admitted to the 'unwise but not illegal' affair.
Holly later released a statement saying that she felt 'hurt' that she had been lied to. ITV bosses also said that they felt they had been 'badly let down' by the presenter. Phil had previously announced that he had stepped from This Morning after rumours of a feud between them dominated headlines, but following his statement announced that he was leaving ITV with immediate effect.
He has also been dropped by his talent agency of 35 years YMU, which his daughter Molly works for. Speaking in two new emotional interviews, Phillip said that he texted Holly at the time that the scandal broke out, but he has received no reply.
"The last time we had a conversation was when I texted Holly and said, 'Don’t reply' – this was after the statement last week – 'Don’t reply, you're probably not allowed to, but I am deeply deeply sorry that I lied to you,'" he told The Sun.
He added: "And I am. It was the one secret in our sanctuary that was never mentioned.” The presenter also spoke about he felt as though he had "lost everything" to the BBC's Amol Rajan, explaining that his daughters "saved [his] life".
READ NEXT:
- Holly Willoughby and BBC in talks for star to make switch after ITV Phillip Schofield scandal
- Maisie Smith says she's on 'cloud nine' as she stuns fans after flaunting gym-honed figure
- Molly-Mae Hague marks one-year milestone with unseen pregnancy snap as she shares 'reality' of mum life
- This Morning staff 'concerned for their jobs' amid Phillip Schofield affair saga
- Phillip Schofield fears being spat on in the street after affair with young colleague revealed
